Wings Over Whiteman Photos

As you saw from my last post, we attended Wings Over Whiteman last weekend and got to see some great airplanes. Here are some photos and videos that Janice took while we were there. We had a great time with Aaron and Maureen. We'll be going again in two years. Maybe you can join us.

Janice and I standing in front of the B-1 Lancer

The B-1 is the only supersonic bomber in the world. Another cool feature is the sweepable wing. The wing will move back and forth while in-flight as the pilot decides how fast he wants to travel. It works much like the now retired F-14 fighter that was featured in the movie Topgun. We were even able to climb the ladder and see inside a little. Because of the top secret stuff inside the bomber we were limited on what we could see.

At the top of the ladder to the right is the seat for the Navigation Officer. He is responsible for keeping the plane on course as well as monitoring all systems of the aircraft while in flight.

At the top of the ladder to the left is the seat for the Weapons Systems Officer. He is responsible for all weapons and defense systems on-board the aircraft. He is also responsible for dropping the bombs when the time comes.

At the top of the ladder and straight ahead is the flight deck of the B-1 Lancer. This was as close as they would let us get. Much of what is contained in the cockpit is classified so entry was prohibited.

B-2 Spirit Bomber Chopper built by Orange County Choppers

This bike was featured on a recent episode of American Chopper on TLC

T-38 Talons Open the show at Wings Over Whiteman

T-38 Talon Trainer

The T-38 Talon is the jet trainer for the US Air Force. Whiteman Air Force Base is home to a squadron of these aircraft and it is the place they use to train our pilots that move on to fly fighters and bombers. This is one of the planes we saw flying in formation in the photo above as it taxied by us after landing.

FM-2 Wildcat

This is the aircraft we saw fly that later had to make an emergency landing due to a broken landing gear strut. The pilot was OK, but the plane had to be removed from the runway as the right landing gear collapsed upon landing. The runway was located behind the hangers that you see here in the background, so we did not actually see the emergency landing.

MiG-17F

MiG-17F

This is the MiG-17F we saw fly during the air show. It was a very impressive display and it made me realize why our pilots in Vietnam were nervous when they took to the skies.

B-2 Spirit of Texas and F-22 Raptor

These 2 planes are so top secret this was as close as we could get. What you can't see in this photo are the armed Security Force Guards stationed around these airplanes. Nobody was going to get close with those guys around.

C-21

This is the flight deck of the C-21 which is the Air Force version of the Learjet 35. This airplane is used to haul Generals around. It can also be used for medical transport and light cargo duties.

B-52 Stratofortress

This is the bomber of all bombers. This airplane is known for its "carpet bombing" capabilities. There were stories that came out of Iraq after Gulf War I, that many Iraqi soldiers would crawl out of their foxholes with bleeding ears and noses and with raised hands of surrender they would be muttering, "Please, no more B-52's!"

B-25 Mitchell "Pacific Prowler"

Here is an original World War II classic bomber. What an honor to see it fly.

The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team Flying the World War 2 Trainer, T-6 Texan

Aeroshell Aerobatic Team

Watch the videos below to get an idea of what these guys did. I love the sound of these old radial engines.

World War 2 Fighter, P-51 Mustang

Another classic and so much fun to see fly.

P-51 Mustang

The F-15E Strike Eagle

This jet was hard to catch on video because of the speed. This shows the beginning of his final maneuver, which was a vertical climb. Janice did a great job capturing this video. He was probably flying at about 300 to 400 miles per hour in this clip.

Here the F-15E Strike Eagle does a 360 degree turn in front of the crowd. In this turn the pilot was experiencing 5 to 6 's.

F-15E Strike Eagle

F-15E Strike Eagle

Afterburners Engaged

F-15E Strike Eagle

A-10 Thunderbolt II

aka, "The Tank Killer"

It's ugly, but deadly. This plane is built around a 30mm Gatlin Gun.

A-10 Thunderbolt II

Here he passes overhead in slow-flight

Heritage Flight

This was one of the coolest things to see at the show. A Heritage Flight is when they match up a retired airplane with a plane that is currently in service. They usually only contain 2 aircraft, but we had the privilege of seeing a Heritage Flight with 3 airplanes. Here the P-51 Mustang flies with the F-15E Strike Eagle and the A-10 Thunderbolt II.

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

Heritage Flight

This was the end of the flight. The A-10 peeled off up and left, the F-15E went up and right, and the P-51 went up straight. It was an amazing sight.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

aka, "The Stealth Bomber"

The B-2 Spirit Bomber closed out the show with a few fly-by's. This airplane is one of the most incredible sights ever. It is so hard to see. If you look away for a second it is hard to put your eyes back on it again. It seems like it just disappears into thin air.

B-2 Spirit Bomber

B-2 Spirit Bomber